Chicken salad just didn't sound like enough so I wanted to give you some options here. I not only succeeded in doing this HCG 2.0 diet recipe 3 different ways with the only real common ingredient being the chicken, but these 3 chicken salads are packed with flavor and surprised even me!
The star here is probably the Holiday Chicken salad, which is also the most traditional of the three. It being the holidays, we are either off of the low calorie phase or maybe looking to allow a little splurge here and there. In this holiday recipe you are going to find a couple add-ins that you wouldn't normally see in My HCG Diet Recipes like the dried cranberries and pecans. The pecans stay true to keto but the cranberries have more carbs than I would normally use for an ingredient. Like I said earlier, I just wanted to give some fun options for a holiday dish and Dr. Zach agreed that cranberries were a good choice. Divided up throughout the 5 servings is an additional 4.5 carbs.
The whole reason behind making HCG 2.0 was to provide a way to make eating healthy and losing weight more practical and attainable by all. We also know that by learning ways to give your body the nutrients it needs we need not be "dieting" for a lifetime. Here are some of the tips that will help us make it through the holidays and not feel like you have completely failed in everything you have learned.
Healthy Holiday Eating Strategies
Contribute a healthy dish to the gathering to be sure that there is something that you can indulge.
Eat before going. Always grab a snack before you go to help curb your appetite. Never arrive hungry! Also, eat breakfast which has been shown to prevent overeating later in the day.
If you are going to splurge, do so wisely. Don't use up your calories on something you can have anytime of the year, make it worth it. This will really limit your options.
Sit next to a fellow healthy eater, there is strength in numbers.
Use intermittent fasting! This is a great way to have most of your calories and carbs in a shorter time frame.
Even if you are choosing a couple items you wouldn't normally ea,t be sure you are still not overeating. Don't binge on 10 sugar cookies, instead choose one dessert and have one serving. Or choose a couple and have smaller servings.
Plan ahead, as always. You can do this by intermittent fasting but also by just knowing that you will be allowing yourself more later so hold back now. Skip that latte or anything you can do to save on calories.
Though the star might be the Holiday Chicken Salad this week because it's that time of the year, it is not because these other two lack any flavor. They each contain unique ingredients and I used more of a salad dressing than the traditional mayo chicken salad recipe. In these dressings and salads we use some fresh herbs and spices along with lots of veggies when all put together pack a punch of flavor.
Stand-out Spices
The two standout spices that I have used are ginger, in the Balsamic-Ginger Dressing and the Curry. I have talked about the ginger before when making the Ginger Lime Stir Fry. It contains the antioxidant known as gingerol and aids tremendously in settling the stomach.
The curry is a wonderful blend of spices which contains the powerful super-spice known as turmeric, which everyone should use from time to time if they aren't already. Curry has a distinct flavor which is one that you either love or hate most of the time. The good thing is, unlike ginger, there is a big window in how much you can use before it becomes overwhelming. Curry actually contains many other spices such as ginger, cumin, turmeric (which is where it gets its common yellow color), coriander (cilantro) and chili pepper. It's a great way to incorporate lots of flavor and get the benefits of all these great spices.
To cook the chicken I flash sauteed the breasts in some oil. Don't really brown them because you want a soft meat which makes for easier shredding. Then I added about a cup of chicken stock to the pan and let them steam until no longer pink.
*Each salad will make about 5-3/4 cup servings.
Ingredients
Holiday Chicken Salad
1 1/2-2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
2 egg whites, diced
2 TBS green onion, chopped
1 long stalk celery, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
3 TBS MCT Mayo
splash of citrus, salt &pepper
Add-Ins
2 TBS dried cranberries
2 TBS chopped pecans
Asian Chicken Salad
1 1/2-2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
2 TBS green onion, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 cup cabbage, shredded
3 TBS Balsamic-Ginger Dressing (recipe follows)
salt & pepper
Curry Chicken Salad
1 1/2-2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1/2 cup cucumber, chopped (I always like to use the mini-cucumbers)
1/3 cup radishes, diced
2 TBS fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Curry Citrus Dressing (recipe follows) - makes about 3 TBS
salt & pepper
Instructions
For each salad, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Serve on a bed of lettuce greens or with other veggies. Delicious by itself also. Enjoy!
Balsamic-Ginger Dressing: Combine in a food processor 1/4 cup MCT oil, 2 TBS balsamic vinegar, 1 TBS coconut aminos, 1 chopped garlic clove, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp honey. Add 1 TBS of water and process until smooth.
Curry-Citrus Dressing: Whisk together 2 TBS MCT oil, 1/2 tsp curry powder, 1 TBS fresh lemon juice, 1 packet of stevia (1/4 tsp). Whisk well.
If you're unfamiliar with HCG 2.0, the blog linked here is a great place to learn the differences between HCG 2.0 and the original HCG diet, Pounds and Inches; A New Approach to Obesity.
You can also join our private Facebook group. If you're still bit skeptical of HCG weight loss, it's a great place go for genuine information from people just like you that once had the same questions and concerns that you have now.